Hunger

So for my "lunch" break today I thought I would update my journal.  I am back at work after a few days off, and am keeping busy and trying not to dwell on food too much although Starbucks does smell enticing.

Hunger is an interesting thing.  Today is day 5 of my fast, and even though I feel hungry, my stomach is growling, I have all the signs of hunger, I am just not very interested in the chicken broth I made, preferring instead at this moment to drink water or plain tea.  I had coffee this morning with coconut oil, butter and cream, and could only down half of it.  It just wasn't appealing.  Water and tea or even plain coffee sound better.  Megan told a story in the class the other day about a woman who loved and craved coffee daily, but during a fast ended up so tired of it that she had to give it up for a while...

I feel that way about cinnamon.  And chicken broth. And coconut oil.

I am also sort of cold.  Although I am not sure if that is because of the fasting, or because it is just cold in here.  I'm not the only one who feels cold today...

I'd like to just go home and take a nap which could be due to waking up at 2:30 am and not being able to really get back to sleep, or it could be due to a breakdown in my fuel pathways.  If I do this again, I may just take the whole week off--I think it would be easier.  I am hoping that any minute now my body will figure out that I have ample fat stores that it could easily use for fuel.  It is definitely struggling right now.

Dr. Fung has a great description of the process that we go through when fasting to be able to create ketones and alternate fuel for the body.  It is pretty amazing.

Mentally, I am sort of vacillating between tired/hungry and euphoric/satisfied.  Since today is day 5 of my fast, I should be well on my way to using large amounts of ketones in my brain.  People say that it is at this point (or near this point) that the un-hungry phase begins.  May people report that after 4-5 days that they completely lose their appetite and are comfortable and happy not eating. Currently, my stomach is still growling, so I am not quite there yet.  I hope to be there soon...